


This is the way that we love (Like it's forever. Then live the rest of our life, But not together)

by merle_p



Category: Brothers & Sisters
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-10-27
Updated: 2007-10-27
Packaged: 2017-10-06 18:24:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/56504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merle_p/pseuds/merle_p
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sarah's marriage is over.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This is the way that we love (Like it's forever. Then live the rest of our life, But not together)

**Author's Note:**

> Written October 2007.  
> Spoilers for ep. 2.01-2.04.  
> Brothers &amp; Sisters belongs to ABC, the title is taken from the Mika song "Happy Ending".

Sarah had never been particularly interested in dating. The whole "You have to dress like this for the first date, you have to do that on the second date" routine just somehow seemed like a waste of time to her.

And it was not as if she liked to be single, it was just that dating required time – time she didn't have, what with business school and the company and her family. Especially her family.

Besides, when she _did_ find the time to go out with someone, it mostly ended with the guy telling her that he found her wonderful, but "intimidating".

***

"It's a straight men thing", Kevin said, downing his bourbon. "They feel threatened by a girl who's got more balls – or more brain – than they do. Or both, in your case."

"Well, thanks for sharing your wisdom", Sarah replied sarcastically, stumbling only a tiny bit over the last words. "Too bad that I've also got more boobs than most of them. Otherwise, I just might have chances with the gay guys at least."

"Oh", Kevin slurred, "I'm sure there are enough closet cases who would be happy to marry a woman like you. It would be the perfect marriage – harmonious and trouble-free. And you could both have sex with whoever you wanted." He raised from his bar stool and patted her shoulder.

"I would totally marry you, you know."

Then he got them two more shots, and Sarah actually felt better. For about five minutes.

***

She met Joe on Kitty's 28th birthday, which – in hindsight – wasn't really a surprise, because important things always seemed to happen on Kitty's birthdays. Kitty had taken all her siblings to a new café she'd heard of, and between Justin being far too drunk far too soon for his age and Tommy being unable to talk about anything except his new girlfriend, it was actually quite nice.

The café was cozy, the guitarist was pretty good, and when she looked at him, she found that he was pretty handsome, as well. Their eyes met, and when he began to pack his things for the night, Kitty and Kevin practically dragged her over and started a conversation. It was embarrassing.

They met for lunch a few days later, and Joe told her about his divorce and Gabe, and two weeks later, she officially introduced him to her parents. He wasn't intimidated – neither by her job, nor by her family. He was sufficiently interested in the company, and he honestly seemed to like her siblings. Far more important, they liked him. Even if Sarah knew that they were secretly a bit freaked out by the whole businesswoman/houseman thing.

***

Now, she's forty, and she's alone. A divorcee to-be with a full-time job and two kids and those incipient creases leading from her nose to the corners of her mouth, and as happy as she is for Kitty, sometimes she can barely stand to watch her planning the perfect wedding with the perfect guy.

***

Maybe she should have known that it wouldn't last. That her mother might have been happy to sacrifice her life for her children, but Joe was not.

That the omnipresence of the Walker family would eventually wear on him. That it would bother him how nothing was ever only about the two of them, how even their kids weren't completely theirs alone.

That he would somehow feel emasculated among all those Walker men – vital and virile, successful and independent, patriarch, husband, soldier, lawyer. Maybe she should have known. Maybe she knew all along.

***

She finds herself hanging out with Kevin again, her brother and her lawyer and someone who she knows feels as lonely as she does.

No bars or clubs, like before, because Kevin, in Jason's absence, prefers not to be led into temptation, because they are too exhausted to dress up after work anyway and because of the children – at least when they're not at Joe's for the night.

Instead, they watch all seasons of Miami Vice and old Disney movies on DVD, and take to drinking tequila straight out of the bottle, after Sarah admitted that she still feels a little torn about consuming the products of Walker Landing Winery.

"I should have married you", she says and keeps poking around in the bowl, looking for the last green M&amp;M's.

Kevin doesn't even ask what she's talking about. The thing is: They've always understood each other best when they were drunk.

"It's not too late", he says, "we can always run away to Vegas." He trades the bottle in for the bowl and starts picking out the blue ones.

Sarah drinks, tastes alcohol-chocolate-peanut, and actually feels better. For – oh well, for a few minutes, at least.

It has to be enough.


End file.
